At the top of The Apurva Kempinski Bali, where art, craftsmanship and indulgence come together, L’Atelier by Cyril Kongo is entering a new chapter. For 2026, the avant-garde studio and lifestyle destination introduces Spice Route Creative, a cocktail programme that looks beyond the glass to explore Indonesia’s long and complex relationship with spice.
Since opening in 2021, the 144-square-metre L’Atelier has occupied a distinctive space within the resort, doubling as a working art studio and an intimate lounge for cigars, champagne, wine and spirits. Created in collaboration with French-Vietnamese graffiti artist Cyril Kongo, whose work has been commissioned by international houses including Hermès, Chanel and Richard Mille, the venue has always blurred the lines between art and lifestyle.
The premise is simple: spice is identity. Long before it became a defining ingredient in Indonesian cuisine, the archipelago’s spices were precious commodities that shaped trade, wealth, power and even conquest. Through the new menu, L’Atelier brings this history into a contemporary setting, using local ingredients as a way to tell stories of nature, heritage and culture.
Each of the nine cocktails centres on a spice indigenous to the Indonesian archipelago, while three pillars provide the programme’s narrative foundation. Nature draws attention to Bali’s landscapes and the importance of preserving them. Heritage celebrates traditional crafts and the people working to keep them alive. Culture uncovers lesser-known stories, techniques and meanings behind Indonesia’s local traditions.
The philosophy continues through three guiding principles: craftsmanship, refinement and tradition. Techniques are used to reinterpret familiar flavours, presentations are deliberately modern, and every cocktail is designed to arrive with a story and a sense of purpose.
At the centre of this new programme is Arya, known behind the bar as “The Alchemist”. A Bali-born mixologist with deep connections to the island’s traditions, Arya serves as Bar Manager at L’Atelier, where he channels local knowledge into contemporary creations. For this edition, he has placed particular emphasis on Arak Bali, the traditional palm- or rice-based spirit, creating a series of experiences that present the archipelago’s oldest spirit through a fresh perspective.
Arya’s approach is also grounded in responsibility. His commitment to local farmers, producers and sustainable practices was recognised when he was crowned the Indonesia Regional Winner of the Hennessy MyWay 2025 competition, earning the opportunity to represent Indonesia at the global finals in France. At L’Atelier, he continues to champion local artistry while encouraging his team to create drinks that feel both distinctly Balinese and internationally relevant.
Two cocktails offer a glimpse into this philosophy. Varun, under the Culture pillar, takes inspiration from the Indian Ocean and the coastal landscapes of southern Bali. Combining vodka, Karu18, white cardamom, algae and oregano in a contemporary twist on the Blue Lagoon, the cocktail is connected to a coral and ocean-life preservation programme supporting local fishermen, developed with the Living Seas Foundation and Coral Sense Bali.
Then there is Battle Ritual, a drink rooted in one of Bali’s most compelling traditions. Inspired by Perang Pandan, the ritual combat practised by the Bali Aga community in Tenganan in Karangasem, the cocktail reflects a ceremony associated with bravery, confidence and emotional discipline. East Indies Gin meets pandan, vetiver, longan and honey in a reinterpretation of the Bee’s Knees, while the drink supports a pandan seedling-planting programme in Desa Tenganan, developed with Samsara Living and the Tenganan community.
For Arya, the purpose is not to reinvent these traditions, but to translate them. As he explains, each cocktail begins with a story already present in Bali – a ritual, ceremony, or tradition passed down through generations. The bartender’s role, then, is to make that story accessible to a global audience without losing its authenticity.
This is perhaps what makes Spice Route Creative more than a new cocktail menu. At L’Atelier by Cyril Kongo, the spice becomes a medium for storytelling: connecting the land to the glass, the past to the present, and Bali’s living traditions to a new generation of curious drinkers.
Open daily from 5pm until midnight.
L’Atelier by Cyril Kongo at The Apurva Kempinski Bali
Jl. Raya Nusa Dua Selatan No. 4, Benoa
kempinski.com
+62 361 2092 288
@latelierbycyrilkongo
